Weft supply and placing mechanism



. LEA. WEFT SUPPLY AND PLACING MECHANISM.

APPIICATION FILED OCT- 2311919.

Patented July 11, 1922.

3 SHEETS-SHEET C. LEA.

WEFT SUPPLY AND PLACING MECHANISM. APPLICATION FILED OCT. 23. 1919.

1A2%,722; Patented uly 11, 1922.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

C. LEA. 'WEFT SUPPLY AND PLACING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED OCT- 23, I919.

Patented July 11, 1922.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

units CHARLES LEA, OF BOSTON, I/IASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR, BY T/IESNE TO MOHAWK CARPET MILLS, INC, OF AMSTERDAM, NEW

OF NEW YORK.

ASSIGNMENTS, YORK, A CORPORATION SUPPLY AND PLACING MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 11, 1922.

Original application filed November 2, 1916, Serial No. 120,072. Divided and this application filed October 23, 1919.

T 0 all whom it may camera.

Be it known that I, C r-mamas LEA; a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in lVeft Supply and Placing Mechanism. of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like characters on the drawings representing like parts.

This application is a division of my copending application Serial No. 120,072. filed November 2, 1916, now Patent No. 1,328,570. dated January 20, 1920, for mechanism for and process of producing chenille.

This invention relates to weft supply and placing mechanism for textile machines. In order that the invention may be clearly understood, I have in the accompanying drawings disclosed one type or embodiment thereof.

In said drawings,

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of an organized machine particularly intended for con structing chenille and with and as a part of which my invention may be practised, parts of the machine not particularly relating to my invention being omitted;

Fig. 2 is a view of said machine partly in end elevation and partly in transverse vertical section;

Fig. 3 is a plan of the weft needle or filling carrier or certain of the operating parts therefor, the needle being represented in dotted lines at the right and grasping the weft thread; 7

Fig. 4: is a front elevation of the mechanism shown in Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a view mainly in elevation and Fig. 9 is a plan view of a portion of the Serial No. 332,784.

needle, the weft controlling magazine and cooperating parts.

While I have shown my invention as adapted for use in a cross weaving loom of the general type shown in my said applicatron Serial No. 129,072, I desire it to be understoood that it may be emplovcd in any suitable textile mechanism.

The framing of the machine is indicated generally at 1. It consists of suitable side uprights connected by tie bars or otherwise. At the back of the machine I support a spool or beam whereon the warp threads 2 are wound and from which they are guided over a suitable guide rod or guide roll Above the warp threads is supported a spool or beam 4 whereon the doup threads are wound. Each of said spools or beams is preferably provided with a brake or tension strap 6, 7. The warp threads 2 are adapted to be shedded in any suitable manner in a way not herein necessary to disclose. but preferably by means of two sets of needles together equalling the total number of warp threads 2, such needles being preferably carried by frames oppositely reciprocated in a vertical plane. The doup threads 5 pass over a rod 8 whereby the slack may be taken up. For this purpose any suitable construe tion may be employed. I have herein represented said rod 8 as mounted on sleeves, one of which is indicated at 9 and positioned for vertical sliding movement upon upright posts, one of which is indicated at 10 and carried by the frame of the machine. Suitable coil springs, one of which is indicated at 11 are provided yieldingly to support the rod 8 in the position shown in Fig. 1. The doup threads 5 preferably extend through the eyes of suitable needles not herein necessary to show but preferably depending from a doup harness frame suitably positioned for vertical sliding movement in the machine frame.

Movements of vertical reciprocation are imparted to the warp harnesses and movements of vertical reciprocation and of transverse or lateral reciprocation are imparted to the doup harness in any suitable manner. For this purpose any suitable means may be provided, which, however, it is not necessary to illustrate.

Power may be conveyed to the machine in any suitable manner. Herein for the purpose I have represented the machine as having a drive shaft 12 mounted in suitable bearings in the machine frame as indicated in Fig. l and having thereon a suitable driving pulley l3 driven in any suitable manner.

In any suitable manner not herein necessary to disclose, movements of vertical reciprocation are imparted from the drive shaft 12 to the warp heddle frames controlling the warp threads 2 and sheds are consecutively formed with the said threads, and in a manner not herein necessary to disclose, move ments of vertical reciprocation are imparted to the doup harness frame controlling the doup threads 5. Any suitable means may be provided to present a single weft or any one of a plurality of weft threads to the weft needle or filling carrier. If a plurality of weft threads be employed, they may differ among themselves in color or otherwise. In Figs. 1, 2 and 9 I have represented at 14 a portion of a weft magazine having a number of weft thread tubes 15, each of which is adapted to carry a suitable weft thread for presentation to the weft needle or other means for inserting the selected weft thread. The magazine 14, if employed, may be selectively operated in any suitable manner, either automatically or manually. .Herein for the purpose I have represented the shaft 16 of said magazine as having fast thereon a hand wheel 17 by means of which the desired weft thread may be presented to the weft needle. The weft needle may be of any suitable character and may be operated in any suitable manner. Herein for the purpose and referring more particularly to Figs. 2 and 3 to 8 inclusive, I have represented the weft needle at 18, it being mounted in a bracket 19 itself mounted for sliding movement transversely of the machine upon a guide 20 laterally extending from the machine frame, as indicated most clearly in Fig.2. In order to impart sliding to and fro movement to the weft needle, the bracket 19 thereof has a pin 21 extending through a slot 22 in the upper end of a lever 23 pivoted at 24 upon the machine frame and having a roll 25 received by the groove of a cam 26. The said cam 26 fast upon a shaft 26'..-

As indicated most clearly in Figs. 6 and 7, the needle 18 is provided with two jaws 27, 28 which are adapted to be opened to seize the weft thread when in the position indicated at the extreme right in Fig. 3. to close thereon and again to open to release the said weft thread when the proper length thereof has been positioned in the shed. In order to lmpart the described movements to the jaws ofthe weft needle, I have made the upper jaw 28 movable, and at the opposite endof the needle 18 I have provided a laterally ex tendinglug v29 which, normall i downwardly pressed by coil spring 30 to close said jaw against relatively fixed jaw 27. Said spring 30 bears at one end against the lug 29, surrounds the needle 18, and at its other end is connected to some suitable part, such as the slidin bracket 19 (see Fig. 3).

The guide 20 is erein represented as pro vided with a longitudinally dovetailed groove 31 within which are received the swinging jaw opener 32 and the fixed jaw opener 33. For this purpose the openers are respectively provided with bolt-s 34, 35 having T heads received within the groove 31, The jaw opener 33 is held in fixed but adjustable position so as to open the jaws when the needle 18 is at the extreme left hand posi tion viewing Fig. 4, that is, when the proper length of weft has been positioned in the shed. The opener 32, however, is pivotaliy mounted upon its bolt 34 (adjustable in the slot 31) and is permitted a limited swinging movement by means of the pin 36 in said opening. A coiled spring 38 is provided acting normally to retain the swinging jaw opener 32 in the position shown in Fig. 4.

As the weft needle 18 moves toward the right, viewing Figs. 3 and 4, the lug 29 rides up the inclined surface 39 of said swinging jaw opener 32, and thereby the jaws are opened as indicated in Fig. 6, and the end of the selected weft thread that is p otruding from the proper thread tube 15 is grasped. If desired, the construction and relation of parts may be such that the jaws close directly upon the selected thread,-or they may close uponthe thread tube of the selected thread and thereafter slide off onto the thread thereof. In either case, the jaws close upon the thread and in the return movement of the weft needle, that is, toward the left viewing Figs. 3 and 4, the lug '29 rides under the overhanging inclined portion 32 of the swinging jaw opener, and in passing from beneath the same tilts said jaw opener into the position shown in Fig. 8 after which said jaw opener resumes the position shown in Fig. 4 as the cycle of operations is repeated.

As herein set forth, the fabric that is formed is intended to be cut into narrow strips,'technically known as chenille strips. It is wholly impracticable to attempt to form a chenille strip made up of merely straight warps and weft threads, because such a fabric will not hold together. The warp threads will be laterally separated and the fabric or strip wholly disintegrates or comes apart. It is therefore of the greatest im portance that doup warp threads be introduced so as transversely to bind the straight warp threads in place. Both the straight warp threads and the doup warp threads cooperate with the needle-like member to introduce the weft threads, because the employment .of a shuttle is impractical, and

would result in a fabric the weft threads of which would be spaced more or less from each ther and result in so-called grinning.

It is essential to lay the weft threads in such a way that the latter can be very closely compacted and moreover it is important to provide means whereby a relatively large number of different colored weft threads may be introduced. It would not be practicable to provide a large number of shuttles for this purpose. Therefore the said features clearly cooperate with each other.

Having thus described one illustrative embodiment of my invention, I desire it to be understood that although specific terms are employed, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense and not for purposes of limitation, the scope of the invention being set forth in the following claims.

Claims:

1. In weaving mechanism, a weft carrier adapted to be reciprocated through the shed, said weft carrier being of sufficient length to extend entirely through the shed and having at one extremity only of said carrier a pair of jaws mounted to be relatively rocked about an axis extending longitudinally of said carrier, so as to open and close, and two jaw openers in line with the shed but longitudinally spaced sufliciently to open the jaws at the two ends of the shed in the reciprocation of the carrier, one of said jaw openers being fixed and over which a projection from the carrier rides to open the jaws, and the other of said aw openers having a yielding movement so that in one position said projection rides over the jaw opener to open the jaws and in another position said projection rides under the jaw opener so as not to open the jaws.

2. In weaving mechanism, a weft carrier adapted to be reciprocated through the shed, said weft carrier being of sufficient length to extend entirely through the shed and having at one extremity only of said carrier a pair of jaws mounted to be relatively rocked about an axis extending longitudinally of said carrier, so as to open and close, and two jaw openers in line with the shed but longitudinally spaced sufliciently to open the jaws at the two ends of the shed in the reciprocation of the carrier, one of said jaw openers being fixed and over which a projection from the carrier rides to open the jaws, and the other of said jaw openers being pivoted to rock up and down so that in one direction of movement of the carrier said latter jaw opener acts to open the jaws and in the opposite direction of movement it does not act upon said jaws.

3. In weaving mechanism, a weft carrier adapted to be reciprocated through the shed, said weft carrier being of sufficient length to extend entirely through the shed and having at one extremity only of said carrier 8.

pair of jaws mounted to be relatively rocked about an axis extending longitudinally of said carrier, so as to open and close, and two jaw openers both stationed at one end of the shed but sufficiently spaced so as to open the jaws at the two ends of the shed in the reciprocation of said carrier. one of said jaw openers being fixed and over which a projection from the carrier rides to open the jaws, and the other of said jaw openers having a yielding movement so that in one position said projection rides over the jaw opener to open the jaws and in another position said projection rides under the jaw opener so as not to open the jaws.

4. In weaving mechanism, a weft carrier adapted to be reciprocated through the shed, said weft carrier being of sufficient length to extend entirely through the shed and having at one extremity only of said carrier 21 pair of jaws mounted to be relatively rocked about an axis extending longitudinally of said carrier, so as to open and close, and two jaw openers in line with the shed but longitudinally spaced suflicicntly to open the jaws at the two ends of the shed in the reciprocation of the carrier, one of said jaw openers being fixed and over which a projection from the carrier rides to open the jaws, and the other of said jaw openers being pivoted to rock up and down so that in one direction of movement of the carrier said latter jaw opener acts to open the jaws and in the opposite direction of movement it does not act upon said jaws.

5. In weaving mechanism, a weft carrier adapted to be reciprocated through the shed, said weft carrier having jaws adapted to engage the selected thread at the weft magazine, a weft carrier guide 20 and a pair of jaw openers 32 and 33 adjustably carried thereby and adapted to be engaged by the weft carrier upon its to and fro movements to control the opening and closing movement of the jaws of the weft carrier.

6. In weaving mechanism, a weft carrier adapted to be reciprocated through the shed, said weft carrier having jaws adapted to engage the selected thread at the weft magazine, a grooved weft carrier guide 20 in the grooves of which said weft carrier reciprocates, a pair of jaw openers carried by the grooved weft carrier guide and a projection from the weft carrier adapted in succession to engage said jaw openers to control the opening and closing movements of said aws.

7. In weaving mechanism, a weft carrier adapted to be reciprocated through the shed, said weft carrier having jaws adapted to engage the selected thread at the weft magazine, a guide 20 arranged transversely of the mechanism in proximity to the shed, a plurality of inclines carried by said guide, and a lateral projection from the weft carsaid weft carrier being normally spring retained in closed position, and longitudinally spaced bodily stationary cam means along the path of to actuate said movable jaw.

9. In weaving mechanism, a weft carrier having at one end thereof a pair of jaws, one said jaw being fixed, the other movable relatively thereto about an axis extending longitudinally of said weft carrier, said jaws being normally spring retained in closed position, a projection upon said weft carrier, and a movable and a fixed cam in the path of said projection respectively to open said jaws preparatory to grasping a weft thread and to open said jaws to release the thread when drawn through the shedded warp threads 10. In weaving mechanism, a reciprocable weft carrier, a pair of relatively movable sp ring-closed jaws carried thereby, a laterally projecting lug upon said weft carrier rigidly connected with one said jaw, and longitudinally spaced bodily stationary cam means to actuate said lug at different points in the travel of said weft carrier.

7 11. In weaving mechanism a weft needle, a bracket supporting said needle near one end thereof, a guide along which said bracket is longitudinally reciprocable, means for reciprocating said bracket, a pair of rigid laterally projecting jaws carried at the end ofsaid needle opposite said bracket, one fixed, the other movable relatively thereto, and a pair of aligned cams upon said guide to actuate said movablejaw during the reciprocation of said needle-carrying bracket,-

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to thisspecification.

CHARLES LEA. 

